Making Iron More Efficiently and Generating Power with Oxygen
This patent describes an integrated system that uses extra oxygen in a blast furnace to make iron more efficiently, while also capturing the furnace's waste gases to generate electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Original patent title: “Blast furnace iron production with integrated power generation”
This patent describes an integrated system that uses extra oxygen in a blast furnace to make iron more efficiently, while also capturing the furnace's waste gases to generate electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Granted to Air Products and Chemicals in 2012 with 25 claims and 62 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2028.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a system that combines iron production in a blast furnace with power generation and carbon dioxide capture. It introduces "super-enriched air" into the blast furnace, containing about 32% to 70% oxygen (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1), which helps gasify coal more effectively. This process generates a fuel-rich "top gas" (Claim 1) that includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Instead of just venting this gas, the system recovers it and uses it to generate electricity in a combined cycle power generation system (Claim 12). Before using the top gas for power, carbon dioxide can be removed from it (Claim 4, 7), making the power generation cleaner and allowing for CO2 sequestration. For example, a steel mill could use this system to not only produce iron but also power its own operations or even sell excess electricity, all while reducing its carbon footprint.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover blast furnace operations using standard air or oxygen enrichment levels below 32 molar percent oxygen.
- Does not cover systems where the blast furnace top gas is simply flared or used only for heating without generating power in a combined cycle system.
- Does not cover methods of iron production that do not involve the gasification of coal in the blast furnace.
- Does not cover power generation systems that do not specifically utilize blast furnace top gas with a calorific value greater than about 110 btu/scf.
- Does not cover systems that produce iron without also integrating a carbon dioxide removal system for the top gas.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the specific integration of very high oxygen enrichment (32-70% oxygen, "super-enriched air") in the blast furnace with a system to capture and utilize the resulting high-energy top gas for efficient power generation and carbon dioxide removal. This creates a self-sustaining energy loop while simultaneously enabling carbon capture.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Integrated steel mills
Industrial gas suppliers (e.g., Air Products, Linde, Air Liquide)
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects
Combined cycle power plants
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is significant because it addresses two major challenges in the iron and steel industry: energy efficiency and environmental impact. By integrating power generation and CO2 capture directly into the blast furnace process, it offers a pathway to reduce fuel consumption (specifically coke, ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 6) and greenhouse gas emissions. This approach can make iron production more economically and environmentally sustainable, which is crucial for an industry known for its high energy use and carbon footprint.
Filed
December 5, 2008
Granted
March 13, 2012
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Air Products and Chemicals Inc., the original assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, are major players in industrial gas supply and related technologies that enable such integrated systems. Other industrial gas companies like Linde and Air Liquide, as well as major steel producers such as ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel, and POSCO, are continuously investing in technologies to improve efficiency and reduce emissions in iron production. Engineering firms specializing in large-scale industrial plants also work on implementing these advanced integrated solutions.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the ongoing shift in heavy industry towards more sustainable and energy-efficient practices. It provides a framework for steel producers to reduce operational costs by generating their own power from waste gases and meet stricter environmental regulations through integrated carbon capture. The technology outlined could lead to a reduction in the carbon footprint of iron production, influencing investment in cleaner steelmaking processes and potentially shaping future industry standards for emissions.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a system that combines iron production in a blast furnace with power generation and carbon dioxide capture. It introduces "super-enriched air" into the blast furnace, containing about 32% to 70% oxygen (Claim 1), which helps gasify coal more effectively. This process generates a fuel-rich "top gas" (Claim 1) that includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Instead of just venting this gas, the system recovers it and uses it to generate electricity in a combined cycle power generation system (Claim 12). Before using the top gas for power, carbon dioxide can be removed from it (Claim 4, 7), making the power generation cleaner and allowing for CO2 sequestration. For example, a steel mill could use this system to not only produce iron but also power its own operations or even sell excess electricity, all while reducing its carbon footprint.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the specific integration of very high oxygen enrichment (32-70% oxygen, "super-enriched air") in the blast furnace with a system to capture and utilize the resulting high-energy top gas for efficient power generation and carbon dioxide removal. This creates a self-sustaining energy loop while simultaneously enabling carbon capture.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover blast furnace operations using standard air or oxygen enrichment levels below 32 molar percent oxygen.
- Does not cover systems where the blast furnace top gas is simply flared or used only for heating without generating power in a combined cycle system.
- Does not cover methods of iron production that do not involve the gasification of coal in the blast furnace.
- Does not cover power generation systems that do not specifically utilize blast furnace top gas with a calorific value greater than about 110 btu/scf.
- Does not cover systems that produce iron without also integrating a carbon dioxide removal system for the top gas.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
36/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
17/20
Very broad protection
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$117K – $374K
Midpoint $234K · 2.4 yr remaining · industry baseline
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
25 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Terrible, J. A., & Lanyi, M. D. (2012). Making Iron More Efficiently and Generating Power with Oxygen (U.S. Patent No. 8,133,298). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8133298/blast-furnace-iron-production-with-integrated-power-generation
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Making Iron More Efficiently and Generating Power with Oxygen cover?
This patent describes an integrated system that uses extra oxygen in a blast furnace to make iron more efficiently, while also capturing the furnace's waste gases to generate electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Who owns patent US 8133298?
Air Products and Chemicals owns this patent, granted in 2012.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on December 5, 2028, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 8133298 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 62 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is significant because it addresses two major challenges in the iron and steel industry: energy efficiency and environmental impact. By integrating power generation and CO2 capture directly into the blast furnace process, it offers a pathway to reduce fuel consumption (specifically coke, Claim 6) and greenhouse gas emissions. This approach can make iron production more economically and environmentally sustainable, which is crucial for an industry known for its high energy use and carbon footprint.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover blast furnace operations using standard air or oxygen enrichment levels below 32 molar percent oxygen.
Patent monitoring